Two weekends ago (September 19th-20th, 2015) at the The Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, the VIP Dance Events came to Vancouver for the first time ever! This year was the third season the event but the first time in Vancouver. This amazing and spectacular event was a 2 day convention with an incredible line of faculty including: Ricky Ubeda (SYTYCD S11 Winner), Marty Kudelka (Has done multiple choreographed numbers for Justin Timberlake, Coke, Tommy Hilfiger, Grammys and more), Ian Eastwood (Youtuber, choreographer, and the World of Dance Youth Choreographer of the Year), Melissa Sandvig (SYTYCD S5 as the "Naughty Ballerina"), Brian Friedman (Choreographer for artists such as Beyonce, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Usher, and more), Meaghan McGrath (Dancer in LMFAO, Sean Desman, and the "Next Star", and last but not least the owner of the event, Blake McGrath (He has appeared on SYTYCD S1, "Dance Moms", as well as dancing on stage with Madonna, Janet Jackson, Brittney Spears and more!).
Along with the amazing faculty were their assistants: Madelyne Spang (in the Senior Room; dancing at Studio 19 Dance Complex and performing on SYTYCD), and Autumn Miller (Youtuber and dancer with the Mather Dance Company, who has danced on Dancing with the stars, Shake It Up, Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" music video, and more!). The overall event was well put together with a high dance calibre and fun and encouraging atmosphere! The styles of dance included hip hop (from Ian Eastwood and Marty Kudelka), ballet (taught by: Melissa Sandvig), jazz funk (Brian Friedman and Blake McGrath), and Contemporary (Ricky Ubeda and Blake McGrath). There were also two age categories which was nice because otherwise it would've been super crowded based on age: 12 & under and 13 & over. Also depending on the location there are different faculty members and assistants that change yearly per city. For instance, some of the other assistants at other cities were: Chloe Lukasiak, Emma Mather, Jessica Richens, Tate McRae, Jordyn Jones, and Lucas Triana. Also in the past they have had Sophia Lucia as an assistant at some of the events. Some of their other faculty members include: Shannon Mather, Wildabeast, Miguel Zarate, and NappyTabs. Their other locations include: Toronto (Sept 12-13th), Ottawa (Sept 26-27th), and Calgary (Oct 3-4th).
The event had dance classes on the first day of 1 hour classes from 8am-4pm with a 45min lunch break at 11:15am. There was also an optional Supremacy Freestyle Battle that you could sign up for at the end of the day, but after a whole day of dance I was pretty tired and left before that happened. Although, I did hear a lot of great reviews of the battle and the final 3 contestants of each age category for the battle competed in the closing ceremony on Sunday, which was a lot of fun to watch. Also on the first day, the registration started at 6:30am and the welcome and introductions then began at 7:45am right before the beginning of classes. After the first two classes there were always a 15min to either change shoes, drink water, go to the bathroom, or eat a snack, so it was evenly paced out.
Also there was an audition class for both age categories on the first day for scholarships that would be handed out during the closing ceremony on the next day, which I thought was really cool. The way the audition worked was very supportive as they taught a combo and then there was improv before and after the combo, which were done in small groups. Each group would then stand in a line after completing the combo, and they would then record down the numbers pinned to your shirt, to remember for scholarships. Also in order to be able to receive one of their scholarships you needed to be registered for both days of the event, because otherwise they would have no way of tracking you down.
On the second day, there was an optional registration in the morning that started at 7am but if you were there the first day, you wouldn't need to as long as you had your wrist band from the previous day. Classes then started again at 8am, lunch break at 12:15-1pm and then the last class ended at 3:30pm, as the last 2 classes were extended by 15min, as there was an overall 1 less class then the first day. The second day was a nice and upbeat day full of dance, that allowed you to have a bit of a breather compared to the first day, which is always a plus!
Then at around 3:45pm they started the closing ceremony, where the assistants: Autumn Miller, Lani, Sage, and Madelyn Sprang performed their own solos. Along with the two instructors: Ricky Ubeda and Ian Eastwood (who freestyled hip hop). Additionally, the final battle for each age category of the Supremacy Freestyle Battle was concluded, along with the scholarships to Dancer Palooza, Mather Dance Company Online, and more! The categories for the scholarships were given to one dancer per style of dance per age category. Along with 2 Runner-Up Winners and the Overall Dancer Awards. At the end of the ceremony there was a brief talk with a representative from the Children's Wish Foundation explaining the foundation, and ended with a short speech by Blake McGrath.
Also, as a side note they told us at the event that next year they would hold the event near the beginning of October, as they had many studios tell them that they wished that it was later in the year. So be sure to check their website for more details! For next years event or for some of the other locations you can easily register online on their website, which links to Eventbrite (prices vary depending on age, days, studio groups, and whether you register before or after early registration). As for clothing, I would recommend bringing runners for hip hop, socks, extra shirt & sports bra, and to wear whatever you feel comfortable in whether it's a t-shirt and booty shorts, sports bra and leggings, a leotard, as long as you can dance in it and it's not offensive it's all good! Additionally, there are Chaperones/Adult Supervisor Observer Fees for age 21 and up, that is required for participants. However, parents aren't required to be there at all times, but are responsible for their children or attendees. For instance, depending on your child's age and dependency, most parents won't need to be there the whole time. Although, some parents do enjoy watching the instructors teach, so it's really up to you and your parents! Overall, I thought this event was a must for all dancers who want to experience a challenging yet enlightening weekend of dance, and be sure to check this event out next year!
Here are some of the photos I took at the event:
The website is: www.vipdanceevents.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VipDanceEvents
Instagram: @vipdanceevents
Here's the YouTube Trailer for VIP Dance Events Season 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIl-oIyrBAc